Owens sucker
| Owens sucker | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cypriniformes |
| Family: | Catostomidae |
| Genus: | Catostomus |
| Species: | C. fumeiventris
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| Binomial name | |
| Catostomus fumeiventris R. R. Miller, 1973[2]
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The Owens sucker (Catostomus fumeiventris) is a fish in the family Catostomidae that is endemic to California. The name fumeiventris has a Latin origin, with fumeus meaning "smoky" and ventris meaning "belly." Originally described as a population of sandbar suckers (Cynoscion arenarius), it became recognized as its own species in 1938.[3] Owens suckers are closely related to Tahoe suckers and possess the ability to hybridize with Santa Ana suckers. [3]
Description
[edit]
The Owens sucker has an inferior mouth oriented toward the bottom of water sources, with flattened pectoral fins, suggesting a preference for staying near the river or lake bed. Primarily nocturnal, this fish feeds on algae and other organic matter that sinks to the bottom of these waterways. It features ten dorsal fin rays and a dusky abdomen, which becomes more pronounced in married males, and it lacks the red lateral stripe characteristic of the similar Tahoe sucker. While identical to the Tahoe sucker (Catostomus tahoensis), the Owens sucker has coarser scales and a duller coloration. The Owens sucker larvae are distinguished by a more complete line of melanophores around their gut compared to Tahoe sucker larvae, and adult Owens suckers also have differently shaped mouths.[4] The Owens sucker has fewer than 80 lateral line scales as opposed to the Tahoe suckers possessing more than 80 lateral line scales, making for easier distinctions.[3] The adults are slaty colored, although some individuals can be very dark, with dusky bellies, which are especially noticeable in spawning males.[5] It grows to a maximum size of 50cm but is usually found around 30cm in total length.[6]
Environment
[edit]Owens suckers prefer to live in water with temperatures between 7 and 13 degrees Celsius and pH values ranging from 7.9 to 8.0. Despite their "least concern" conservation status, rising temperatures from climate change could potentially push water temperatures beyond the preferred range for Owens suckers. Due to the constantly changing conditions, monitoring is crucial. Owens suckers favor waterways with finer substrates as opposed to areas with gravel or rocks.[3] Although they have been introduced to other waterways, they are only native to one watershed, and the territories they occupy are very scarce due to human interaction.[3] These fish, however, are very adaptable and can repopulate habitats as well as compete with non-native species.
Distribution
[edit]
Owens suckers are endemic to the Owens River in the Owens Valley of eastern California and has been introduced into June Lake in the Mono Lake basin and to the Santa Clara River system as a result of a release of water from the Owens River through the Los Angeles Aqueduct.[7][8] It is abundant in Crowley Lake, with populations in Convict Lake and Lake Sabrina,[1] and populations have been established in the Owens River sanctuary.[8] This species is also present in Sespe Creek near the outlet of the Fillmore Hatchery and Piru Creek above Lake Piru, California.[9] The endemic location of the Owens sucker, Owens Valley, originally lacked aquatic diversity, with only two minnow species, the Owens sucker and a killifish, notably missing any species of trout that were common in areas North and West of the Owens Valley. The exact population in the Santa Clara system is uncertain, but introduced Owens suckers often end up hybridizing with the native Santa Ana suckers in this region.[10]
Conservation status
[edit] | This section may require copy editing. (December 2024) |
During the 1870s, irrigation projects diverted water away from Owens Valley which drastically altered the aquatic systems. Around 1890, catfish, along with carp and salmon, were introduced to the valley, leading to a serious decline in native fish populations. Several native fish, such as the Owens pupfish and Owens tui chub, are now endangered as a result, and the Owens speckled dane is a "species of concern." However, the Owens sucker itself is a species of least concern.[11] [12] [13] Approximately 83% of California's inland fish species are either extinct or experiencing population decline. Despite this, when evaluated on a 1–5 scale taking into account factors such as area occupied, climate change resistance, and overall tolerance, the Owens sucker received a value of 3.9. Its score indicates that its population is relatively stable but should still be monitored.[14] The largest threats to the Owens sucker include the construction of dams, regulation of the Owens River, urbanization of areas near the Owens River, and predation by invasive species. Factors such as grazing, wildfires, and harvesting are seen as negligible when considering the conservation of this species.[3] A source from 1993 indicates that large numbers of adults would gather below the outlet of the Fillmore Hatchery for weeks in March but that their numbers have halved since 1989.[15]
California has looked into an umbrella species program, where the conservation and monitoring of select species indirectly protects the many other species that make up the habitat. It is unclear which Californian Freshwater species would be the umbrella species, but the Owens sucker is a candidate alongside the White sturgeon, Santa Ana sucker, and Sacramento pikeminnow.[10]
Biology
[edit] | This section may require copy editing. (December 2024) |
Owens suckers are nocturnal, and their diet consists of aquatic insects, algae, detritus, and organic matter. They spawn from May through to early July over gravel substrates in tributaries, though populations in lakes will also spawn over gravelly areas of the lake beds and springs.[1] The lifecycle of the Owens sucker is split into 3 phases: pre-larvae, post-larvae, and juveniles. Pre larvae measure around 11–12 mm in length and have yolk for the full length of their gut. At around 12 mm, most pre-larvae successfully transition into post-larvae. The pelvic fin for the Owens sucker does not appear until the fish reaches lengths of around 18–22 mm, at which point they appear as small buds.[16] The larvae become juveniles once they attain a total length of 19–22 mm. At this stage, the fin rays become fully developed, and the anterior gut turns darker. The juveniles hide along stream margins and in backwaters among weeds.[7]
When reproducing, the genes of the Owens sucker undergo "gene silencing," where one pair of genes becomes inactive, often allowing for evolutionary advancements in their morphology. While being tetraploid, the Owens sucker may behave as if it were a diploid due to many of their genes being silenced. On average, the Owens sucker only expresses 42% of their duplicated genes. It grows to a maximum size of 50 cm but is usually only 30 cm long.[6] Closely related species, such as the Tahoe sucker, have diploidization events occurring in their genome. Still, more research is needed to determine whether the Owens sucker could also be capable of returning its genome back to a diploid state.[17]
Comparisons between the Owens sucker and the Owens tui chub support the hypothesis that the Lahontan Basin and the Owens River Basin were once connected and split apart due to geological changes such as the formation of the Owens River gorge. Additionally, genetic data supports the hypothesis that the Speckled dace and Owens sucker may have been separated due to a volcanic event around 760,000 years ago.[18]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c NatureServe (2013). "Catostomus fumeiventris". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013. IUCN: e.T202059A2733547. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T202059A2733547.en. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
- ^ R. Froese; D. Pauly, eds. (2017). "Catostomus fumeiventris Miller, 1973 Owens sucker". Fishbase. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f et, Miller. "OWENS SUCKER Catostomus fumeiventris". OWENS SUCKER Catostomus fumeiventris. CA Government. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ Feeney, Richard F (2008). "Description and Ecology of Larvae and Juveniles of Three Native Cypriniforms of Coastal Southern California". Ichthyological Research. 55: 65–77. doi:10.1007/s10228-007-0006-1. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ Delacorte, Michael. "2 Doing Zooarchaeology as If It Mattered: Use of Faunal Data to Address Current Issues in Fish Conservation Biology in Owens Valley, California" (PDF). 2 Doing Zooarchaeology as If It Mattered: Use of Faunal Data to Address Current Issues in Fish Conservation Biology in Owens Valley, California. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
- ^ a b D.G, Buth (1981). "Gene Duplication and Diploidization in Tetraploid Catostomid Fishes Catostomus Fumeiventris and C. Santaanae". Copeia (3): 705–708. doi:10.2307/1444579. JSTOR 1444579. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
- ^ a b "Owens Sucker". California Fish Website. University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- ^ a b "Catostomus fumeiventris". NAS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species. U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- ^ Fisher, Robert. "The Status and Distribution of Freshwater Fishes of Southern California" (PDF). Southern California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
- ^ a b Obester, Alyssa (2022). "The use of umbrella fish species to provide a more comprehensive approach for freshwater conservation management". Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. 32 (1): 112–128. doi:10.1002/aqc.3746.
- ^ Delacorte, Michael (2004). Doing Zooarchaeology as if It Mattered: Use of Faunal Data to AddressCurrent Issues in Fish Conservation Biology in Owens Valley, California (PDF).
- ^ "Owens pupfish (Cyprinodon radiosus)". wildlife.ca.gov. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
- ^ "Owens tui chub (Siphateles bicolor snyderi)". wildlife.ca.gov. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
- ^ Moyle, Peter (October 2011). "Rapid decline of California's native inland fishes: A status assessment". Biological Conservation. 144 (10): 2414–2423. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2011.06.002.
- ^ Fisher, Robert. "The Status and Distribution of Freshwater Fishes of Southern California" (PDF). Southern California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
- ^ Miller, Robert (April 1973). "Two new fishes,Gila Bicolor Snyderi and Catostomus Fumeiventris from the Owens River Basin, California" (PDF). Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
- ^ Moyle, Peter (April 1, 1991). Population genetics of Endangered Catostomid Fishes (PDF). Davis, CA.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Su, Yingxin; Moyle, Peter B.; Campbell, Matthew A.; Finger, Amanda J.; O'Rourke, Sean M.; Baumsteiger, Jason; Miller, Michael R. (November 2022). "Population genomic analysis of the Speckled Dace species complex identifies three distinct lineages in California". Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. 151 (6): 695–710. doi:10.1002/tafs.10388.
